The Craze: Electrify Your Look

The Craze is a trend report bringing you the latest (and, duh, the greatest) in beauty and styles.

Want to grab some attention and shine with the sun, FINALLY? Check out the neon runway hit from Jason Wu, Michael Kors, Giambattista Valli, Louis Vuitton, Burberry Prorsum, Christian Dior, Missoni and Versace.

Quite the trend right? Most neon colors are available in tops, skirts and dresses. Match your neon tops with neutrals on the bottom and neutral shoes for dresses so you aren’t TOO electric! If you aren’t comfortable with neon clothing, no worries, plenty of accessories (and nail polish!) are available that offer hints of neon to add the same great look on a smaller scale. Check out these accessories of clothing items below.

Asos.com

Forever 21

Old Navy

-Kate Ahrendtsen

Designer Confidential: "The Inspired Rookie - Jess Wolfe"

Designer Confidential highlights the work of SU's greatest fashion asset: its student designers.

Jess Wolfe didn’t always know she wanted to be a fashion designer. She entered Syracuse University as a ceramics major. While taking a textiles class during the second semester of her freshman year, she fell head over heels for fashion design and has never looked back.

“I love ceramics. But it didn’t really support the lifestyle I wanted. After taking the textiles class I could really see a future for myself in the fashion industry,” Wolfe says.

To catch up to her classmates in the fashion program, Wolfe has had to double up on studio electives and work extra hard.

“It is challenging, but I’m learning a lot. It is definitely worth it,” she says.

An extensive history in retail has helped expose her to the ins and outs of the industry. Wolfe has worked at Hollister Co., Pac Sun, Plato’s Closet and is presently employed at Clinique. She sees herself working in the fashion industry with similarly large companies as a ready-to-wear designer.

“I would love to work for someone like Michael Kors,” Wolfe says. “He’s talented and affordable.”

Wolfe is currently working on a midterm for her Fashion Illustration class. The project involves designing a 12-piece collection around two opposing elements. Wolfe was given two pieces of fabric-a leather and an orange knit. Her spring collection combines flirty feminine looks with an edgy rocker aesthetic, relying on tweed, knit, and leather fabrics to give the collection a sweet but rugged feel.

“When looking at my final work for this collection I see my drawing has... developed a lot from the beginning of the year. I really have learned a lot in only a year,” Wolfe proclaims.

Dream Job: To work for a famous designer in the ready-to-wear department. She notes she would also be interested in working as a celebrity stylist.

“I think it would be a really exciting job. I love Rachel Zoe and I think her job is amazing” Wolfe states.

Designer Confidential: She switched into fashion after completing an inspiring project for her Fiber Arts class, which found her looking at a Christian Dior collection inspired by Geishas.

-Christina Riggio

The Orange Carpet: Winter Pick-Me-Up

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

Trend that “needs to die”: Wearing leggings as pants 


Favorite trend of the moment: Hair Bows

The spring semester is almost in full swing, but the snowy weather in Syracuse seems endless. Chances are you have already worn most of your new clothes you purchased over break, and your wardrobe is in need of a style pick-me-up. So what do you do when you look in your closet and can’t decide what to wear? Give your outfits an instant fashion face-lift with fun, bright accessories. Here, Stephanie Krivitzky, senior Advertising major, takes her outfit from ordinary to fabulous with a simple yet gorgeous scarf. The rich, vibrant colors and pattern of Krivitzky’s scarf adds that extra oomph to her classic combination of a white sweater and jeans.

Adding a fun scarf to your outfit offers an easy and affordable way to add some personal style to your overall look. Some of the prettiest scarves can be found in the most unexpected places, such as flea markets, vintage shops and street vendors. Krivitzky bought her scarf at a street market in Israel.

What do you think about adding a scarf to your wardrobe? What are some unexpected places where you have found your favorite accessories?


Krivitzky is wearing:

Sweater: Calvin Klein

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind

Scarf: Street market in Israel

Watch: Michael Kors

Boots: Steve Madden

-Rachel Laber

Rag Report: In Bloom

Rag Report dives under the covers of fashion publications to rant or rave about all the glossy goodness.

Springtime and flowers are like peanut butter and jelly; they go hand-in-hand. It’s only natural that spring designer collections are filled with floral delights. Elle’s February issue features a 10-page spread with model Devon Akoi in 2011 blooming designs from the likes of Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, and Vera Wang.

Marc Jacobs updates wintry leather with a lighter hue and a flower design on this silk gauze dress. The bottom of the dress falls like flower petals and the red neck piece is like a wildflower emerging after the cold of winter.

While this silk crepe Tommy Hilfiger dress is a solid color, the shade of yellow is so like that of spring daffodils that the image of a flower comes to mind. The crepe material is also delicate like the daffodils that bloom in springtime.

The New York Botanical Garden is a perfect backdrop for this spread. The conifers mirror the embroidery on this Oscar de la Renta gown, a print refreshingly different from normal floral patterns. The poured-glass flower brooches from Mark Walsh Leslie Chin serve as a beautiful embellishment that enhances, rather than clashes, with this dress.

This floral spread comes at a perfect time. When most are still suffering from winter blues, the colorful blossoms and patterns shown here make the world look a little brighter and springtime look a little more within reach.

-Jessica Dysart

Cuse Closet: Getting Better all the Time!

Cuse Closet peeks inside the staff's wardrobes to find out where we're going and how good we look getting there.

Last Thursday I got sick. It wasn’t too surprising, after working through too many long nights and watching everyone around me fall victim to the sinus plague, but this year I wanted to be prepared. As soon as I felt that tell-tale tickle in the back of my throat, I headed to CVS to restock my supply of cold season staples- Tylenol Day Time, Mucinex, and Halls cough drops. After popping all these cold medicines, I felt like a zombie (or perhaps a meth-head) and I don’t think they really aided in my recovery. What did help, though, was rest and the best cure of all—fashion.

When I'm feeling rundown, sick, or slogging my way through day two of an all-nighter, one of the things that always makes me feel better (along with drinking as many cups of vanilla roast as possible) is to take a few extra minutes getting ready in the morning and picking out something I really love. Usually during these groggy moments I reach for the most classic clothing in my closet however I never want to feel as done as a post-makeover contestant on TLC’s What Not to Wear (pre-makeover contestant goes without saying). I try to strike the balance between power dressing and personal dressing by combining my staples with patterned and colored pieces as much as possible, to give me a little more moxie. While layering my most tasteful trench and a wool sweater dress over a floral frock from last season, I was well on the path to a speedy recovery.

Black Trench Coat- Michael Kors

Black Wool Sweater Dress- Madewell

Black shoulder bag - Vintage Coach (found at Value Village for $15)

Charm Necklace - Handmade

Brown Corset Belt- Madewell

Floral Strapless Dress worn underneath - American Eagle

Tights- Hue

Black Patent Pumps - Steve Madden

-Emily Montgomery

Designer Confidential: Not Just Beginner’s Luck

Designer Confidential highlights the work of SU's greatest fashion asset: its student designers.

With the skill and craftsmanship apparent in Junior fashion design major Ron Koraisaca’s creations, you would never guess that this is his first year in the program. “I originally started out as a policy studies major. I wanted to be a lawyer and help people, but I think designing is a different way to help people. I...[have to take] an extra year of coursework, but I love it, so I definitely think it’s worth it.”

Even though he is enrolled in 100 level courses, Koraisca is quickly distinguishing himself in the department, with clever designs like a modular 'K' bag that he's constructing for a project in his accessories class.

Soon, Koraisca will begin work on a top hat inspired by steampunk; a genre of sci-fi that imagines a faux-Victorian future where technology is still powered by steam.

Koraisca has also been busily sewing himself . “[I’m sewing] three [costumes for myself] this year: an angel, ...chef, and...doctor [costume]. My mom designs for Calvin Klein, [and] she gave me this fabric to use, so I’ve been using [them] for my costumes.”

Koraisaca cites the futuristic designs of Balenciaga as inspiration, as well as the modern minimalist aesthetic of Calvin Klein, which has played such a personal part in his life. He hopes to someday take over as head designer for a major label, like Balenciaga. “I find it interesting what Marc Jacobs does. Even though he’s designing for [Louis Vuitton] a very established label, he still makes it his own.” As far as short-term plans go, Koraisca hopes to land an internship working for another classic American design house, Michael Kors. “I actually met him, so when I go back to the city next summer I’m going to start wearing my designs constantly, in hopes that I’ll run into him again, and he’ll see my designs and like them.”

Dream Job: To become head designer at Balenciaga; imbuing the label with his clean aesthetic and love of woven textiles.

Why you should look out for him: Koraisca knows how to deliver edgy with a preppy Dalton-certified twist. His muse is an uptown girl with a downtown attitude. “She sneaks out of her house dressed up well, then when she gets downtown to have fun she ties her shirt and hikes up her skirt.”

Designer Confidential: His earliest fashion memories are of going to work with his mother: “I [would] play in her studio, and sit under her machine when she sewed. She used to get so mad at me when I['d] pull the thread out of the [industrial sergers]. I recently learned how to thread...them, so I understand why she got so annoyed because it’s... hard to do!”

-Julie Kosin

The Orange Carpet: Attention! ... Army Inspiration

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

2010 is all about military. Military inspired jackets are strutting down the runway, and combat boots line the shelves of every department store. It seems our fine soldiers have inspired fashion house s. Even if your not audacious enough to rock a pair of combat boots you can still get into the spirit by incorporating hunter green, camel, or brown hues into any outfit.

Every girl wants to look like she just rolled out of bed and threw the perfect ensemble together, even if that isn’t always the case. Sophomore interior design major, Hayley Grossman, shut it down with her army inspired look. Her style is casual cool, pairing a loose fitting tank with black leggings, a hunter green ‘combat’ jacket and the ever-essential brown boots. Hayley’s Diane Von Furstenberg military jacket works because its fitted in the back and the pockets in the front add a feminine touch. Leave it to Furstenberg to make a killer military jacket that could make any girl look incredibly laid back and chic. Grossman paired her brown Michael Kors boots with a pair of simple black jean leggings or (jeggings). I’m sure you’re thinking brown and black together, really? Well, my friends, that is just not true. The black jeans give this ensemble more of a rocker flare. The most essential element to any look is always the bag. Her camel fold over bag completes the look and effortlessly ties into her military inspired look. When looking for your ‘it’ bag go for something timeless and neutral that can work for day and night. Why pick a bag that’s hot right now when you can get something that can work forever (you might even feel less guilty buying that more expensive bag).

Hayley Grossman

The next time you dress for the day think effortless cool. When dressing yourself, you’re choosing how you want people to think of you. So rock what you want because you’ll feel more comfortable and your style will be more fluid.

Jacket: Diane Von Furstenburg

Shoes: Michael Kors

Top: Simple white tank

Bottom: Jeggings

-Elan Jordon Goss

The Orange Carpet: Mix plaids? Yes, you can!

The Orange Carpet scours SU to roll out the best of campus style (die, hoodies, die!).

There’s a certain danger involved when one chooses to put on a plaid skirt. And that danger is looking like an uptight catholic school-girl or a cheesy object of male fantasty. 

However, Sophomore PR major Lydia Shahmoon (one of our very own Assistant Editors) manages to pull off the look effortlessly without falling into either trap.

Lydia Shahmoon's creative use of plaids. 

We love this modern twist on the classic plaid skirt. The buttons up the front of this high wasted mini add a twist to this classic style by keeping it from looking too rigid. Pairing it with a sheer black t-shirt by Alexander Wang keeps the look modern and casual by utilizing a current trend.

The tan hues in the skirt are highlighted by a cozy pair of beige wool tights and a draped, oversized sweater coat by Philip Lim. Keeping with the schoolgirl theme, Lydia laced up a pair of black patent pointy-toed brogues.

But, as any fashionista knows, the perfect accessories are an absolute necessity, and Lydia couldn’t have made more perfect choices. Sometimes the best way to pull an outfit together, especially a unique one like this, is to choose accessories that add contrast. 

We love this red plaid and brown leather Michael Kors bag. Mixing plaids does not a good outfit make…well, usually. In this case however, the light orange and beige plaid in the skirt mixed with the deep red and black plaid of the bag, contrast one another quite nicely and keeps the two patterns from clashing.

Michael Kors bag.

To top it all off, Lydia chose a gold, multi layered chain necklace….Somewhat reminiscent of the infamous Mr. T chain — but way more stylish.

The perfect accessories.

Plaid Skirt:  FCUK

T-shirt: T by Alexander Wang

Sweater Coat: Philip Lim

Tights: Bleuforte

Bag: Michael Kors

Shoes: Hugo Boss

Necklace: street sale in Montreal 

- by Monica Delamater